United States 
Flo Milli performs at Columbia University Bacchanal
5 years ago
Miki Howard is an American R&B singer known for her hit songs and significant contributions to R&B, soul, and jazz music since the 1980s.
Miki Howard secured a recording deal with Atlantic Records at the beginning of her solo career.
Miki Howard continued her successful solo career after switching to Giant Records in 1991, where she released her first single under the new contract, “Ain't Nobody Like You.”
Miki Howard's album "Three Wishes" received a nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards.
Miki Howard has received several accolades, including NAACP and Soul Train Music Awards, for her contributions to music.
Alicia Michelle “Miki” Howard was born on September 30, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents, Josephine Howard of The Caravans and Clay Graham of The Pilgrim Jubilees, were both gospel singers. Growing up with a background in music, Howard was exposed to notable artists like Aretha Franklin and Mavis Staples through her mother. At age nine, her family relocated to Los Angeles, where she was further influenced by jazz artists such as Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and Nancy Wilson. These early experiences in a musically rich environment laid the foundation for her future career.
Howard’s professional music career began at 16 when she met Augie Johnson, leader of the R&B group Side Effect. She joined the group in 1979 as their vocalist, replacing Sylvia St. James. During her tenure with Side Effect from 1979 to 1985, the group released albums such as “After the Rain” (1980), “Portraits,” and “All Aboard.” She contributed to minor R&B hits like “I Can’t Play” and a cover of Toto’s “Georgy Porgy” in 1983/84. Howard also performed background vocals for various artists including Wayne Henderson, Roy Ayers, and Stanley Turrentine. By 1985, she decided to pursue a solo career, securing a recording contract with Atlantic Records after creating a demo.
Her solo debut, “Come Share My Love,” was released in 1986, reaching number 19 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The title track became her first U.S. hit at number five on the R&B Singles chart. Her cover of “Imagination” peaked at number 13, and “Come Back to Me Lover” charted at number 33. Her second album, “Love Confessions” (1987), featured the Top 10 R&B singles “Baby, Be Mine” and “That’s What Love Is,” a duet with Gerald Levert. In 1988, she won a Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist. Her self-titled third album, “Miki Howard” (1989), became her most successful, hitting number four on the Billboard Top R&B Albums. The album included “Ain’t Nuthin’ in the World,” her first number-one R&B single, and Top 5 hits “Love Under New Management” and “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do).”
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